Collective organizing for change

Structural racism and violence shape where and how Central American immigrants live, work, and "do family." These forces are punishing, threaten deportation and family separation, and produce multigenerational health harms. Research suggests that collective organizing is a critical tool to disrupt anti-immigrant, racialized and gendered violence.

 

In partnership with Central American immigrants residing in an immigrant enclave in the greater Washington DC Metropolitan region, our research will examine how collective organizing empowers people to actualize better working and housing conditions, health equity, and healing.

 

Using a community-based participatory action research approach, we are examining the following research question: How does collective organizing used to dismantle structural racism and legal violence experienced by Central American immigrant families impact health equity and healing?

 

We will conduct an exploratory mixed-methods, sequential study design.

 

In step 1, we established a community advisory board (CAB) and conducted focus group discussions with committee members to develop a conceptual model for how community organizing promotes health and healing from structural racism. Qualitative findings from CAB meetings also informed the development of a survey.

 

In step 2, in partnership with CASA (an immigrant rights organization), we are recruiting 150 Central American immigrants to quantitatively examine how collective organizing impacts health and healing.